Blazers have Neon Deion of their own in Drake

Arizona Daily Wildcat Alabama-Birmingham's Kevin Drake proved that the switch from quarterback to receiver would be a smooth transition. The senior showed promise at his new position after catching three passes for 28 yards in UAB's first two games.

But hey, he's starting, so he is not complaining.

During an individual players meeting in January, Alabama-Birmingham's Kevin Drake expected to hear the coaches say that he would take the majority of the snaps this season, his senior year.

But, Blazers head coach Watson Brown and his staff hit Drake with an idea. Instead of throwing passes, they wanted him to receive them.

"At first I was shocked," Drake said. "It was not something I was expecting. I thought that I was going to start (at quarterback) because I would be the only senior with experience."

Drake had every right to think that way.

In three seasons, he has placed himself third among career leaders in total-offensive plays, total-offensive yards and touchdowns responsible for, while ranking fourth in school history in pass attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns.

"It (the move) was something that they threw out on the table for me to think about," Drake said. "I thought it about it for three to four weeks and then let them know I would try it."

Like any change, the transition took some time, but Drake has excelled in his new-found role, already establishing himself as one of the top receivers on the Blazers' squad.

"It has gone good," Drake said about the switch. "I'm still getting used to catching the ball with people all over my back and taking all those licks though."

Although catching a pass may be something new, Drake has always been able to show people that he can run with the ball.

He is eighth among career leaders in rushing attempts and fifth in rushing touchdowns. Last season, he became the program's first quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in a career.

"We have moved Kevin Drake out there because he is a senior and I think that he has NFL abilities," UAB head coach Watson Brown said. "He's as talented as any kid I've ever had at any school because of his running ability, his jumping ability, and his ability to catch the ball despite having never played the position."

So far, Drake has been happy about his new place on the gridiron.

"I am glad that we made the move," Drake said. "This has really helped the team."

Drake has shown some promise at his new position in UAB's first two games, catching three passes for 28 yards.

Drake points to his past experience as a quarterback in helping him ease into the role of a receiver.

"You can relate to the quarterback," Drake said. "I can get a feel of what they are thinking."

UA offensive coordinator Homer Smith, who has taught hundreds of quarterbacks and receivers in his extensive coaching career, said the move from signal caller to wideout can be a positive move.

"As the quarterback you have the best seat in the house," Smith said. "When you are a wide receiver you can take that knowledge and apply it out on the field. I have seen it work."

As a wide receiver, Drake could become the first player in Blazers' history to score a touchdown by rush, by pass, and by catch. So far, Drake has rushed for seven touchdowns and thrown for seven touchdowns.

Before finishing his senior year, the three-time letter winner has already left a legacy at UAB. He was a member of the Blazers' first recruiting class in 1993, and is the last member of that class still on the team.

He will go down in the record books as the quarterback that lead the Blazers to their first scoring drive at a Division I school. The first touchdown pass in that game was to Drake's former high school teammate, Eric Nation.

Drake was the quarterback in the team's first-ever win over a Division I team with the 19-14 victory over North Texas.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound Drake is continuing to help the team ease the transition to Division I.

"We are really enjoying it," Drake said. "We are looking forward to playing these kind of teams."

Not that it has been easy.

"It has been a struggle, but a fun ride," he said.

Just to make his senior year more interesting, Drake has decided to pick up the bat and glove and try to make the baseball team. He has not played organized baseball since his senior year of high school.

"I miss it (baseball)," Drake said. "I have to go out and see if I still have it."